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Makerere University has released the results for the bachelors of laws pre-entry exams.

The exams, which were for A’level leavers, mature entry applicants, diploma and degree holders, were conducted on April 6, 2024.

A total of 2,559 applicants were A'level leavers, 95 degree holders, 81 diploma holder’s and 27 mature-age entry.

However, 2,157 A’level leavers failed to raise the 50% pass mark, whereas 59 degree holders, 62 diploma holders and nine mature-age entry applicants also failed.

In a circular seen by New Vision Online, Makerere University's Pre-entry and Mature Age Committee has recommended those who passed (50% and above) to the University Admissions Committee for consideration.

The successful candidates stand the chance to apply for the ongoing private sponsorship scheme before the application deadline of May 31, 2024.

As a prerequisite for one to be admitted for a Bachelor’s of Laws at Makerere University, the exam has, over the years, been a hard nut to crack as students fail to fall within the less than 300 students the university admits every year on the programme.

When contacted, Edwin Sabiti, a post-graduate scholar at the Law Development Centre in Kampala, said: "Law pre-entry tests are general knowledge that any student, who has gone through the academic system, should possess," he said.

Steven Nuwagira, a lawyer and media practitioner, says the pre-entry exam tests competence and general knowledge.

"Makerere University, because of its status and position in our society, attracts so many applicants each year. Unfortunately, the law school is not resourced enough to take in more than 300 in an intake. That is why we have all these failure rates. The law pre-entry is just a means to sieve out the best candidates in terms of general knowledge, grammar and comprehension," he said.

Nuwagira added: "The students that fail the pre-entry are not lacking. In fact, some of them even go on to make better lawyers than their counterparts in Makerere but the law school can only admit a few. Maybe, if Makerere opens law schools in their affiliate institutions in the future (like LDC did), they can be able to admit all applicants because they qualify."